Saturday, August 13, 2011

Next week is going to be a very busy, very full, very exciting week! My sister-in-law (one of Josh's sisters) is getting married Friday evening, and both Josh and I are in the wedding! This is my first time being a bridesmaid, and I am so excited! We will be seeing lots of family and friends, helping with wedding prep, attending the pre-wedding festivities, spending some time at the lake...but before all that, I need to get back to my not-so-favorite task of packing. See you later. :)

Friday, August 5, 2011

After we finish the half bushel of peaches we have right now, we will have eaten our way through just over a bushel of peaches this summer! We have been eating them fresh--plain, sliced over granola, pureed in smoothies, as we prefer fresh over canned.

And enjoying a bowlful of peaches and Breyer's natural vanilla ice cream on the sofa with my sweetie in the evening is sucha treat!

Fruit is so much better in season than out of season. It reminds me of the this verse,

A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth:

and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!

Proverbs 15:23

Words spoken in the right way at the right time (in due season) do much to encourage and strengthen others. Words spoken in the wrong way or at the wrong time (out of season) can discourage or deeply hurt, even if that was not the speaker's intent. I know I often struggle with using tact.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

A few months ago, I had run out of honey which our 'normal' granola recipe calls for, so I decided to try this recipe I found online that uses sugar for sweetener. After tweaking the original recipe, we like it so much that it is now our new 'normal' granola recipe! One batch provides many quick and easy breakfasts for our family.

Cinnamon Granola

8 cups rolled oats

2 cups flaked unsweetened coconut

1-1/4 cups light brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup raisins

1/4 cup cornmeal

1-1/2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

1 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup water

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. salt

In a large mixing bowl, combine first seven ingredients.

Melt butter and add water, vanilla and salt.

Pour liquid mixture over dry ingredients, stirring to coat.

Bake in a large pan(s) at 325 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring once during that time.

Last Thursday we went to the Blue Ridge Mountains north of Gatlinburg, Tennessee for a quick (one-night) family trip. I'm very thankful for the opportunity a trip provides to get out of our routine, take a step back to analyze things we're doing or not doing and then resolve to make changes where we need to change. Also, we got to spend time with Daddy away from his books and work! Blessing 1 had a couple difficult times with car sickness on our trip with all the curvy mountain roads. Poor guy--he ended up with his lunch all over him and his car seat with his first episode. We rented a cute, cozy cabin up in the mountains, and besides having some fun family time just relaxing there, we also drove through the towns of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sieverville (definitely a tourist-trap and vacation area!), ate a meal at a farmhouse restaurant, and enjoyed the scenic drive through Cades Cove, a beautiful preserve known for its mountain wildlife. We saw some deer up close, but no bears like we'd hoped to see!

Inside our cabin

It's upside-down! WonderWorks--one of the many tourist attractions in Pigeon Forge, TN We didn't go inside, but it's quite the eye-catching sight just driving by.

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About Me

I am married to the perfect man for me, Josh, and I am a stay-at-home mommy to our three little boys, ages 5 and under. I enjoy family, organizing, homemaking, good deals and things vintage and domestic. I am a sinner saved by the Lord Jesus Christ alone, and I desire to live for Him.